Chapter 28: Instance Theme

Page (1/3)

Although the other players had no idea what exactly had happened, they vaguely realized that it had something to do with [Heavenless].

After all, he had remained away from his seat for so long and was still perfectly unharmed.

Since violating Rule 1 had no consequences, it was hardly surprising that the other rules might also have ceased to function.

Was this a chain reaction?

Bai Ming guessed that [Impossible] was behind it again.

The danger posed by Rule 5 was indeed terrifying.

It could disguise itself as a teammate and deceive the players; one careless moment was enough to fall for it.

It was not that [Marshmallow and Cat] and the others had failed to call out Bai Ming’s ID.

Rather, this deception was not merely physical. It was psychological as well.

Under its mental influence, a player would not even think of revealing an ID while being deceived.

And who knew what devastating move the creature could unleash after Rule 5 was violated?

Unfortunately, it seemed not to have taken effect.

The prerequisite must have been completely blocked.

It was much like how the players would not immediately become mentally muddled and regard Bai Ming’s violation as normal.

The ghost was the same. That was why the “Heavenless” ghost had been so certain that Bai Ming had fallen into its trap.

Of course, Bai Ming knew perfectly well that if he had not behaved so outrageously before—standing inside the bus without suffering any consequences—[Marshmallow and Cat] and the others would never have agreed to leave their seats simply because he told them to.

Bai Ming said coldly, “Save your breath. If you can’t summon anything, go back. Otherwise, stay and tell me how to clear the game.”

“Heavenless” shouted furiously, “In your dreams!”

Then it vanished without a trace.

Enduring her pain, [Marshmallow and Cat] let out a long sigh of relief. “Brother Heavenless is amazing. He can even resist Rule 5.”

Bai Ming ignored her flattery and turned to [One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers]. “When those ghost hands seized you, were you unable to fight back?”

[One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] nodded.

Bai Ming continued analyzing the situation. “I understand now. The ghostly shadow from Rule 1 is an enormous threat to anyone who violates the rule, but it is utterly helpless against someone who hasn’t broken it.”

“So as long as a teammate intervenes in time, a person who violates Rule 1 can still be rescued.”

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

[One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] said solemnly, “We should have realized this sooner.”

“But our team is too strong. No one needed rescuing until now, so this aspect of the rule remained hidden.”

Bai Ming pondered this. “If Rule 1 has a corresponding countermeasure, do the other rules have one as well?”

[Marshmallow and Cat] hurriedly said, “Rule 5 must mean that as long as you can resist Rule 1’s punishment, you won’t be affected by Rule 5.”

[One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers]: “…”

[Ink-Stained Dust] spoke up. “A blade’s light once illuminated the snow within the heart; on the road to the Yellow Springs, one never walks alone.”

“It means companions. Rule 1 can only be broken with the help of one’s teammates.”

“When Rule 4 makes you hear a voice and summons a ghost, a companion should be able to kill it with ease.”

“Rule 5 needs no explanation. It is clearly a test of trust.”

“Every Dusk Game instance should have a central theme. I dare say that Rules 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 can all be resolved with the help of one’s companions.”

[One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] suddenly understood. “I see. The correct way to clear the game should be this.”

“We don’t need to protect every seat. We only need to ensure that one seat remains safe!”

“Once the bus starts moving, the teammate occupying that seat will deal with the black shadow’s interference.”

“The rest of us will concentrate our fire on seizing seats. These ghosts fight on their own. As long as we work together, we can defeat them one by one.”

“The punishments for the other rules work the same way. As long as the teammates watch out for one another, it is entirely possible for everyone to clear the game.”

“For various reasons, we deviated from the correct answer before.”

Companions. So that was what it meant?

Just as the theme of [School Days] was bullying, following this line of thought should allow them to solve [School Days] very quickly.

If [Last Bus] truly had this solution, achieving a flawless clear should be easy.

Next, Bai Ming and the others deliberately tried to make someone fall victim to each rule in order to verify their theory.

As it turned out, even when a player was lured in by the whispers of Rule 2, a teammate could easily awaken them by regaining consciousness in time and taking action.

Rule 4 worked exactly as [Ink-Stained Dust] had said. [One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] deliberately gave in to the act of listening and summoned a ghost, but [Marshmallow and Cat] slapped it once, and it disappeared.

The ghost summoned when Bai Ming was forcibly drawn into listening also vanished after a single slap.

[Marshmallow and Cat] complained, “Rules 3 and 6 obviously contradict each other! You have to keep your eyes closed, but you also can’t get off the bus. What idiot would voluntarily open their eyes and get off?”

[One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] analyzed the situation. “Perhaps the conflict is unavoidable. Rule 3 cannot be disobeyed, but encountering Rule 3 is clearly dangerous. The ghost that boards the bus won’t be nearly so easy to deal with.”

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

“And to defeat the ghost that boards the bus, someone obviously has to open their eyes. That person may therefore violate Rule 6.”

“If that person then receives help from their companions, their chances of surviving will be very high.”

[Marshmallow and Cat] immediately put two and two together. “So Brother Heavenless is just incredibly awesome! We don’t need to bother with Rules 3 and 6 at all.”

[One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers]: “…”

At that moment, [Ink-Stained Dust] spoke. “Heavenless, I want to deliberately try violating Rule 3.”

Bai Ming showed no surprise and merely asked, “Why?”

[Ink-Stained Dust] explained, “There isn’t a single useless rule.”

“For score farmers like us, the closer we get to the end, the more important it becomes to make use of every rule.”

“If we don’t determine the consequences now, then once we reach the ninth stop or beyond, the increasingly terrifying rules will leave us no room for error.”

Bai Ming asked, “Then why not have [Marshmallow and Cat] or [One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] do it?”

[Ink-Stained Dust] replied, “I don’t believe players of their caliber can uncover anything. Besides, we’re about to reach Dawn Hospital Station. If they fail while testing it, there won’t be a second chance.”

Bai Ming said, “All right. Go ahead and test it.”

[Ink-Stained Dust] said, “But I have one condition. The companion who helps me must be you. I don’t trust their abilities.”

Bai Ming replied, “No problem.”

[Ink-Stained Dust] smiled. “Pleasure doing business. We may need to help each other after the ninth stop.”

Bai Ming answered, “Pleasure doing business.”

Hearing that they would not have to risk themselves, [Marshmallow and Cat] and [One Slash Subdues Mountains and Rivers] secretly breathed sighs of relief.

Bai Ming suddenly turned to [Marshmallow and Cat]. “By the way, go and test Rule 7: ‘The last bus has no driver. If you discover it, do not respond to anything it says.’”

[Marshmallow and Cat] glanced at the back of the driver who was currently driving and said stiffly, “Is that really necessary, Brother Heavenless? Cat thinks Rule 7 is the least likely one to be violated.”

Bai Ming rejected her objection outright. “Don’t say things like that. Didn’t you hear what [Ink-Stained Dust] said? There isn’t a single useless rule. Go on.”

With a mournful expression, [Marshmallow and Cat] could only resign herself to the task and nod in the face of overwhelming strength.

Page (3/3)